Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Jan 28, 2008 22:21:02 GMT -5
From underground, Hellbender probed the underlayers of the spaceport with ground-penetrating radar as best he could. Setting off seismic pulses stood a good chance of alerting their quarry, though he'd get a better picture of things if he did. The soil was too moist for the microwave radar to penetrate more than a few feet. Good for keeping him from drilling into something he didn't want to at the last minute (like an underground fuel tank), not so good for navigating.
Still, there was at least one subway tunnel leading to a station at the starport, plus some storm drains. No one wants a flooded spaceport, after all. Hellbender considered the probable layout of things, then radioed Hook: // Get him to make some noise, even if it's just stomping his foot. //
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Barricade
Minor
Knight of the Spastic Sword
Trust Me
Posts: 372
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Post by Barricade on Jan 29, 2008 0:20:35 GMT -5
There is more than one monster lurking in these depths, making its way steadily toward the blast's epicenter. Barricade, torn, battered, rent, and twisted in places, creeps along like a shadow of a ghost. He'd been quiet before he'd been blindsided by Hellbender and his apparent keyed up sensors; he's all but silent now as he shuffles and winds his way along the sewers and utility passages that inevitably honeycomb the ground under any developed city. Hopefully there will still be action to be had by the time he makes his way toward the ruckus. Surely such an explosion will attract other buzzards to the feast. He just wants a chance to thin the flock by one or two if he can before his damages catch up with him.
Slow going, but he's significantly warier now of tripping the mining worm's sensors. He can't take another pouncing like that again, not until he's repaired. Given the way certain of his systems toss out the occasional spark, and the damage reports flickering across his vision, he can't really take another pouncing from anyone at the moment.
Then he'll just have to be the one doing the pouncing.
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Cannonball
Minor
Me, I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest.
Posts: 470
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Post by Cannonball on Jan 29, 2008 1:37:17 GMT -5
Cannonball rises up, shoulders and head visible over the piles he's made up. His body shoots off a couple of sparks. "Oh, I certainly noticed, after th' buggah tried t' take me with 'im. S'pose that he didn't realize that I do be tougher'n I look." His grin grows smug. "I did figure you and your little pet would come running after the boom. I knew Counterpunch was out as well..." His expression grows disappointed. "Sadly, I didnae want to leave Eye-Fire on his own, but circumstances have come to this." A chuckle. "However...I'm not lettin' ye take me down, 'Ook. I ain' gonna let ye 'ave the pleasure of doing so." A grin. A very wide grin. "Gonna do what I tell me mates back 'ome - If ye can't get oot alive...go oot with a blaze of glory befitting a proper pirate..." He raises the pistol and his gun-arm enough for Hook to see, and then aims them for the tanks.
"And Primus, what a blaze I've cooked up."
The sound of laser fire, and the moment seems to last forever, and is over all too quickly. The explosions shake the very section of the city, knocking the piled vehicles back at high speed, burning all the way. The nearby buildings collapse, and the street collapses into the sewer, forming a pair of craters and opening water mains. The intersection and surrounding area are charred and burning in the wake of the explosion. If there's anything left of the pirate, it's probably been sent flying far away.
Cannonball is out.
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Post by Hook on Jan 29, 2008 12:19:17 GMT -5
The street collapsing into the sewer takes Hook with it. The sensorial overload from the explosion addles the Constructicon briefly as he drops, and he's not able to catch himself before violently slamming into the bottom of the sewer. His howl is muffled by the sewage over his face, but when he emerges, his crane-arm is very distinctly snapped.
Broken water mains fountain around him, drenching the Construction and washing away the top layer of sewage. The street-collapse saved his life, as it dropped him out from under the main force of the explosion, but the dust, debris, sewage, and water raining down on him has made him look distinctly bedraggled.
Hook's hands are shaking as he swipes his visor clear. //How... quaint.//
//I despise people who take the easy way out.//
//Well, that leaves collecting the flag from Eye-fire. Hellbender, start making your way to <these coordinates>. Thrust, go to the chandeliers instead of the main base. Do not enter the main base if you value your life. In fact, once you get the flag back to the chandeliers, keep guard on it. We just need to do a quick collection and return to win. Do not lose your flag.//
Or Hook will be very annoyed.
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Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Jan 29, 2008 14:44:54 GMT -5
The unexpected, deafening explosion leaves Hellbender's highly-sensitive audials ringing with overload. At the moment, he couldn't hear Barricade approaching if the infiltrator brought along an 50-piece marching band playing "As the Saints Go Marching In". He shrugs off the debris of the street collapse and noses his way through the rubble and water (intakes firmly shut) toward Hook.
// Ah suppose that makes gettin' Cannonball moot, sir? Ah see you, sir. If you can get a grip on my topside, Ah'll get you out of here. // Yes, Hellbender is suggesting that Hook ride him like an Arrakis Sandworm. // Ah should warn you, my audio sensors are offline temporarily. //
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Barricade
Minor
Knight of the Spastic Sword
Trust Me
Posts: 372
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Post by Barricade on Jan 29, 2008 15:15:45 GMT -5
Barricade lacks Hellbender's sensitive acoustics and seismic sensors, had been navigating himself toward the blast zone by stubbornness and luck as much by anything else. He'd been just moments away from popping himself up topside for a look to orient himself, in fact, when the ground trembles once again.
More than trembles.
Dust and loose debris rain down on him from the shock wave that ripples through this alien groundscape from close, much closer than he'd anticipated. He must have come in from a different trajectory than Hook or Hellbender to have not run into them. Around him, the roar of the explosion ripping its way through the scene above masks the clatter as he stumbles to one knee.
The roar won't last long, it suddenly occurs to him. No time for weakness and injury; time to move.
As the last vestiges of tumbling debris and the echoes of the roar of that explosion slowly fade, Barricade slides to a halt, barely catching echoes of an all too familiar hiss of metal over stone nearing from the distance. Hellbender. Red optics narrow as Barricade peers cautiously around the corner he has crouched behind for cover.
Dust and water and sewage still settle fetidly, drifting down or spraying up from the cracks and fissures torn in alien ceramcrete and steel. There, in the center, almost artfully illuminated by a stray beam of alien sunlight penetrating through the hole blasted and shattered in the street above, stands Hook, looking as much the worse for wear as Barricade.
Time to pounce.
It isn't nearly as satisfying as stalking over and ripping Hook's crane arm off to beat him to death with it, but with Hellbender fast approaching, there's no time for that. And, unlike Cannonball, Barricade doesn't believe in speeches to warn his quarry of his intent. Or of his presence.
Hook might have an instant to register a muffled whine as Barricade brings his cannon up in line for a shot from behind him. Then again, the hiss of all that water and sewage splashing around from ruptured mains and lines might just cover that soft, subtle sound as light erupts from his transformed appendage.
Goodbye Hook.
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Post by Hook on Jan 29, 2008 15:39:40 GMT -5
The blast rips through his chest, vaporizing his primary fuel pump and most of his subspace-generator. Vital connections to his lasercore no longer go anywhere. Red alarms queue up in front of his vision, and for a moment, Hook just stands stock-still, one-hand half-raised to the gaping hole where his chest used to be.
The secondary fuel pump takes over, and electricity slams through his systems once more. Pain!
Damage, too much damage- He couldn't stay here.
The thought is barely articulated before he launches himself skyward. Out of the hole in the street, up to the top of one of the buildings. Even as he flies, he reaches into his chest to hold shut some of the lines frantically pumping fuel and coolants into the air.
His landing is a stumbling one, and he leaves spatters of pink and black all over the roof. Every minute he's still alive is a miracle, if he's reading these diagnostics correctly.
His laser-core needs to be relinked. Instinctively, he attempts to summon his toolkit.
His subspace generator grinds ominously, and Hook throws back his head and screams as it spits shards of shrapnel into his chest. Subspace generator - virtually offline. Could he just get one thing-?
YES. His scalpel appears in his hand. Connective wires, connective wires- Ah!
Resolutely, Hook starts carving open his face. There are plenty of fine, delicate wires inside there that can be used to stabilize himself with. The loss of his facial flexibility really was a small price to pay for coming out of this alive.
It was a shot-in-a-million. If Barricade had attacked just five minutes earlier, the explosion wouldn't have damaged the Constructicon to the point where the police car's blast could go through his chest like that.
Hook was quite determined that it would be just another bare escape on his part. He was, unfortunately, not certain if his lasercore would agree with him.
This was going to be a very ugly jury-rig.
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Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Jan 29, 2008 15:55:21 GMT -5
The snarl of an energy weapon firing nearby surprises Hellbender--one, his audials are back online, and two, there's a live enemy around--as does Hook's disturbing change of outline and sudden retreat. Hellbender curses himself for his inattention. Who was it--Eye-Fire? No matter, whoever it was Hellbender would crush and grind him into metal filings.
Hook flew away--he's still functional in spite of the direct hit. Good. The mining worm surged forward, cutters whirring as they spun up, intakes closed against flooding. As he approached the corner of the junction, Hellbender rose up and scored the weakened ceiling with his cutters.
The rest of the street caved in on the sewer junction and the adjacent tunnel with a satisfying rumble.
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Barricade
Minor
Knight of the Spastic Sword
Trust Me
Posts: 372
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Post by Barricade on Jan 29, 2008 17:02:46 GMT -5
DAMN! Barricade doesn't let Hook's escape distract him for long. He had to have hit the lime green mech pretty seriously, but there's no time to allow himself the luxury of self recrimination now; there's a very irritated mining worm inbound at a high rate of rage.
The weapon hasn't even finished retracting back into his structures, granting him the use of that hand once again before he is in motion. Torn cables and compressed armor complain as he sprints from the dubious shelter of the tunnel mouth, trying to beat Hellbender to that gaping hole that opens up into the sky.
Talons reach, grasping the edge of a jutting slab of metal, shuddering under the crash of Hellbender's approach. Barricade grunts, flexing his servos desperately, vaulting for the crumbled edge of that hole, vaulting for the sky - oh but to have flight. How much easier this would be.
Such large bulk is terrifying as it bears down on a foe, those spinning cutter heads whirring grim death, and yet, all that mass has one significant drawback: it isn't as maneuverable and quick as a slim handful of battered razor shards powered by that high performance engine.
Sparks fly, Barricade hissing out a thin grunt of pain as one of those cutting heads just barely grazes the edge of his foot, trying to suck him in, suck him back down to be ground into nothingness.
His desperately extended claws sink into the edge of ceramcrete and steel, halting his leap - only for a moment as the tortured street rubble begins crumbling under his grip as Hellbender passes below him, mass undulating as the mining worm strikes. Another flash of silver, and Barricade's now reformatted hand sinks deep into the rubble, clawing for purchase, finding something more stable than the gravel disintegrating in his other hand. He scrabbles, flailing, grunting with the effort to make damaged components obey his will as the street shudders under him once more, begins to collapse behind him, burying his ambush nook.
Finally, solid surface under his knees as he flings himself upward, releases his grip, sinks claws in as far as he can reach to pull himself free. No time to pause, to take stock of his near-not-escape; Hellbender will turn and quickly to strike again, Hook is out here somewhere, Fleetwind is still not answering, and their flag is in danger.
Wait... is that the charred edge of a smoldering pastel yellow wing poking out of that bit of flotsam? That... would explain why Fleetwind is not answering, however it doesn't change the fact that Hook could be drawing a bead on him now, or that Hellbender could be rearing to strike, or that their flag is in jeopardy.
Still smoldering debris scatters away from him as he clambers to his feet and scampers for cover before a wounded Constructicon can spot him and play a little turnabout.
OOC: unless someone needs him or takes a shot at him, Barricade is bolting out of thread post haste. Also, dodging of Hellbender's attack done with mining worm cooperation.
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Post by Hook on Jan 30, 2008 15:25:39 GMT -5
Desperately, fast enough to make him cringe at the potential mistakes, Hook weaves facial control wires to connect his lasercore with such vital systems as his generators. Thin slivers of his facial armor are used as ties to keep the wires together. Larger strips have already been used as tourniquets on his spurting lines.
He's not actually certain he can actually survive this for more than half an hour without serious medical attention.
Half an hour is the averaged estimate of how long it will take for his lasercore's energies to fry the delicate facial wires past usefulness. Hopefully that will be enough time to win the game; dropping dead on people would be heartily embarrassing.
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Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Jan 30, 2008 16:32:28 GMT -5
Hellbender lunged futilely at Barricade one last time as the latter fled and retreated back into his tunnels in frustration. As damaged as Barricade seemed to be, he might be able to chase him down and catch him--but Hellbender had other orders. Hook could fly away, so he was probably not in dire need of Hellbender's help.
Fleetwind, Counterpunch and Cannonball accounted for; Blackarachnia, possibly. Barricade, on the loose. Eye-fire, who knew? It would be faster to move on the surface, but not safe from observation. What did Hook intend for him to do at those coordinates? He'd kept his plans to himself.
// Hook, what am Ah supposed to do at those coordinates? Is it something that'll be impaired by me bein' observed by the enemy? //
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Post by Spinister on Feb 1, 2008 0:03:48 GMT -5
Spinister's disembodied voice can be heard out of nowhere, //Game loss: Team Barricade.// Barricade is in charge by dint of being alive and not Blackarachnia. //Game win: Team Hook. Team Barricade may leave the game, join another team, or go rogue.//
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Post by Hook on Feb 1, 2008 0:09:33 GMT -5
Yes! The little motorcycle with the useful sensors had gotten back to their territory successfully. Now Thrust could sit in guard over their flags while Hellbender and Hook collected the third.
Hook tries to smile at Spinister's announcement. Most of his face fails to create the proper expression, leaving him with a ghastly, lop-sided grin.
Thrust's radio dispels that smile, however. He gives the motorcycle orders for dealing with the intruder before turning his attention to Hellbender.
//Eye-fire should be bringing us his flag there. Now, did you suggest earlier that I ride you?//
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Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Feb 1, 2008 1:18:43 GMT -5
Since Hook did not say in his replly, "No, it'll be fine for the two enemies left to see where you're headed and figure out what you're up to," Hellbender sticks to the underground. He moves swiftly through increasingly familiar sewers and subways and underground parking garages to the meeting coordinates.
// Er, Ah forgot that you fly without wings and all, // Hellbender replied a bit sheepishly. // Ah was thinking you might be damaged and need a lift. //
Soon enough, he reaches the coordinates--and listens for signs of another's presence before bursting through the pavement...
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Post by Hook on Feb 1, 2008 1:26:09 GMT -5
Well, it's a lovely day out here at least. Hook leans back on his hands to stare up at the simulated sky.
The shards of white edging around his vision are not terribly surprising. They'd come faster than he expected, though.
Time to give some last orders on the radio to his teammates.
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